Chopper 4 over the scene.
What to Know
- A 31-year-old parking enforcement worker was shot to death on the Brooklyn set of "Law and Order: Organized Crime"on Tuesday by a gunman who abruptly opened his car door and then opened fire, authorities say.
- Johnny Pizarro was sitting in a car on North Henry Street in Greenpoint around 5:15 a.m. when cops say someone opened the door and fired a gun, striking him in them head and neck, police said.
- No other injuries were reported. It wasn't clear if the killer knew his victim. No details on a possible motive were released.
A 31-year-old parking enforcement worker was shot to death on the Brooklyn set of "Law and Order: Organized Crime" on Tuesday by a gunman who abruptly opened his car door and then opened fire, authorities say.
Johnny Pizarro was sitting in a car on North Henry Street in Greenpoint around 5:15 a.m. when cops say someone opened the door of his red sedan and fired a gun several times, striking him in them head and neck, police said. He was pronounced dead at NYC Health + Hospitals / Woodhull within the hour.
The NYPD confirmed Pizarro, a father of six, was hired as an outside agent to clear and save parking spaces for trucks associated with the show. He was shot 45 minutes before the show was scheduled to film on the block. No arrests have been made.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
Friends of Pizarro said the father of six was always laughing. His father, who is in Puerto Rico, was told of his son's death earlier in the day.
No other injuries were reported. It wasn't clear if the killer, who police said was wearing a dark-colored hoodie and black pants, knew his victim. No details on a possible motive were released.
Local
Chopper 4 showed a heavy law enforcement presence at the scene into early Tuesday afternoon. Some who live in the area said it was difficult at first to realize that it was a real crime scene, instead of one staged for the show.
"The morning I wake up and I see the police office and the camera and I thought it was the movie," said Greenpoint resident Janus Czuj. "He was like happy working guy. And he’s dead right now. This makes me sad. By my house. It’s terrible."
Neighbors say that shows frequently film in the area, and that they are used to the activity, even though sometimes people have arguments about parking, unhappy with the number of spots production teams take. But they don’t think anyone would be upset enough to kill.
An NBC and Universal Television spokesperson issued a statement condemning the violence.
"We were terribly saddened and shocked to hear that one of our crew members was the victim of a crime early this morning and has died as a result," the spokesperson said. "We are working with local law enforcement as they continue to investigate. Our hearts go out to his family and friends and we ask that you respect their privacy during this time."
Cops say they're looking for a man with a thin build who was last seen fleeing the area in a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Disclaimer: NBC and Universal Television are owned by Comcast's NBCUniversal LLC, the parent company of this station.
